Silent Spring

While it is important to talk about conservation, consumption and the going green movement, it is also essential to look at where the movement came from. People such as Henry David Thoreau who document a spiritual connection to nature and John Muir who create organizations dedicated to preserving this connection. Many claim that one particular woman is credited with sparking the environmental movement, Rachel Carson.

In 1962, Rachel Carson wrote a book called Silent Spring. It details the harmful effects toxins have on wildlife, particularly birds, and how pesticides are not only killing animals but also humans. Silent Spring shook America when President John F Kennedy validated her findings by having his Science Advisory Committee look at the pesticide industry.

Carson’s book was revolutionary. It took an unheard of issue and revealed the horror contained within. Since this publication, the world has been aware of the harmful effects of pesticides and has tried to work to minimize them.

All of this just because of one book. This goes to show that not every movement needs to start with trumpets and fanfare. Carson saw a problem and solved it the only way she knew how; writing. This isn’t to say you need to go out and write a book on every environmental issue you’re passionate about. It does mean, however, that you can make a difference. Find an outlet you excel in and apply it to saving the environment. If you work hard enough at it, it may just make all the difference in the world. 

Click here to buy Silent Spring

It's Not That Hard To Be Green

When people talk about going green, everyone always assumes that it takes a lot of effort and money and requires major lifestyle changes in order to make a difference.  This is not true.  There are many little things that you can make adjustments to in your everyday life that are at little cost to you but are at great value to the environment.  We are going to explore a few of these adjustments that you could make that would change the saying, "its not that easy being green" to "its not hard to be green."

A one time switch that can be made is using fluorescent light bulbs.  The bulbs that you are currently using are going to run out sometime and when you go to the store, walk past the incandescent bulbs and go for the more energy efficient ones. It's as simple as that.

When you are driving, make sure you always follow the speed limit.  You use less gas when you are driving slow.  Not only does driving slower help you save the planet, but it also helps you to save yourself from getting in trouble with the law, so its a win win situation.

When using energy guzzling appliances such as the dishwasher or the washer or dryer, make sure they are full before running them.  Not only does this make sure that you are not using double the amount of energy but it also prevents you from having to waste your time unloading the dishwasher twice or folding laundry twice.  This simple change allows you to save time while saving the planet!

Plant trees in your backyard.  Not only will planting trees help put more oxygen back into the environment, but when it grows, it will also give you a shady place to relax under during those hot summer days.

For more simple ways that you can save the planet, visit http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080109111927.htm.  Remember every little thing you do counts in the effort to improve the environment we live in!

Eternal Expectation Creates Current Contentment

I don't mean to talk about different religious views on life after death or how to get there because that is not the purpose of this blog, but I have to notice that people with a certainty of life after death (usually eternal in a new, better, maybe even perfect place) live a more content life now and are willing to sacrifice more now in light of that future belief.  Now, I also do not advocate coming to a conclusion about life after death or deity by this means--no one should come to believe something regarding these for the purpose of treating the earth better, but it remains true that such an attitude will be a response.  Let me start with a story of sorts:

I visited a jail yesterday morning, and I have visited countries such as Laos, Thailand and Mexico where people have far less than my twenty year old friends on Elon's campus.  But some of those prisoners and Laocians are eternally more content with their life because of their belief in God.  It makes me notice how much my friends, even in their abundance, complain.

They pay thousands on thousands of dollars to attend college, get textbooks put together over years of research by multiple people, attend classes taught by instructors who have studied the material years beyond their own, and they complain about grades, homework, and the teacher being a little boring.

They have shoes to cover their feet, different kinds of shoes for different purposes, all kinds of clothing to match and suit their style, different clothes for each season, and they complain that the weather is too cold or raining.

They have access to a wide variety of food, nutritional facts to maintain a healthy body, dining halls that have the food prepared for them, kitchen areas in most dorms, and they complain about the chicken in Colonades (a dining hall) being too bland.

Many of them have cars to drive to any nearby store when they need something and the convenience of gas stations compared to biking, walking, determining their schedule on public transportation, or relying on a friend's free time to drive (or not having the convenience stores with everything under the sun), and they complain about other drivers slowing them down.

They've had doctors to prevent their teeth from rotting and discoloring, showers to clean themselves every morning, hair products, contacts to cover up failing eyesight, surgeries to heal broken bones, access to all kinds of fitness and activities, cell phones to make plans within seconds and keep in contact with long-distance friends, laptops to do just about everything you can imagine, but still I see people walking around sad, upset, discontent, easily angered, and even depressed.

All the stuff I've listed is just stuff and I haven't touched on relationships (of which I don't think I even need to explain the complexness).

Anyway, the point: even in the midst of incredibly good things, people are never content and happy all the time because they expect perfection (just like we expect people to do the "right" thing and don't thank them every time they do not do the wrong thing).

Maybe we expect perfection because we were made for perfection, but we've gotten in the way.  Maybe our bodies and the earth slowly decay because we need a new earth and new bodies that won't fade.  That's when the people content in this life say that this happens after this life.  Like I said at the beginning, I will not discuss any beliefs on how to get to this eternal life or a God/gods role in this, but it makes me wonder--so I figured it might make you wonder.  Coming to a conclusion on these things will affect our relationship to the earth and how we treat it.  Think about it.

Finish Your Plate

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American household spends $7,000 on food annually. The Department of Agriculture estimates that at least 25% of this food is wasted.  Here's a handful of helpful tips to avoid the waste of food when it seems like we have so much that a little waste does not matter--because we want to keep a global perspective.
Have a plan when you go grocery shopping.  Impulse buying usually leads to unneeded extra food or uneaten food, plus a larger dent in your wallet.
That also means it would helpful to plan meals out during the week as much as possible.  America helps their people out by having all the nutrition facts on our food, so you could even plan eating healthier by planning these out (the problem then lies in the momentary desires when I want some chips or ice cream, but those can be fought or replaced with other snacks).
Eating the same meal multiple times a week would allow you to buy in bulk, which is usually cheaper.  Sometimes bulk is the only way you can buy, and this way you would not have extras laying around in the back of cupboards.
Cutting down fast food is always a plus.  When you go out to eat, consider sharing dishes.  If you are on a date, it could be romantic.  If you are a group of four friends, maybe order three dishes and share them family style (because sometimes one plate is just a little too much for each person), especially if the restaurant is Chinese--they dish out a lot of chicken.


The competition of the will for doing all this is time because while this will potentially improve health and decrease waisted food and driving time, the planning behind all this will take more time organizing and then cooking the food yourself.  It will come down to what you value most in each season of your life and what your resources allow you to do.  Consider the pros and cons of each decision but know that there will always be both with every decision.

Digging Below the Surface to "Why"

I've decided to take a break from the statistics and engage more in the heart and mind behind many of the problems regarding our treatment of the earth.  The choices we make concerning consuming and disposing are not simply "what"--that is, what we do--but behind the "what" is always a "why"--why I chose to buy something, throw something away.  I don't know how many times in my life I grabbed a candy bar in the check-out line at a store simply because it was there, it tastes good, and I have the money to buy it.  I know that I own many t-shirts I do not need.  But if I continue on this trail, I would find that I technically could survive on so little that it's hard to even imagine, and I do not need to resist good gifts like laptops, laundry machines, a college education, and the list goes on.  I believe the heart lies even behind these things to the way I value and use all these gifts.  Here's the tricky part: my benefit to others and to the earth comes from a selfless view of my life, and my harm to others and the earth comes when I indulge my gifts too much simply because I want to and I can.  I say that's tricky because I do not wake up in the morning excited to sacrifice things I want for the benefit others, and why would I?  Well, I have to believe that a desire to value the earth (and thus, those living on it) must come from some view bigger than that in and of itself, because I only see three conclusions for the person who gives their life to helping the earth just for the sake of helping the earth:

1. They worship the earth to the extent of making it a god--because a person only gives their life to something if they believe that thing is worthy of their life and time and effort.

2. They begin doing all their work for the sake of other people seeing all the "good work" they have done, making their motivation actually the exaltation of themselves (not the earth).

3. They get discouraged because no matter how hard people work, we cannot stop the slow decay of the earth--only slow it down, just like the human life.  We can supplement our bodies with vitamins, make unbelievable medical discoveries, discourage harm from one human to another, live in a safe community, eat healthy food, exercise daily and wash our hands all the time, but the death rate for human beings since the beginning of history still remains 100%.

Often times the realization of #3 can crush the dreams of the people working for #1 because no one wants to worship (work for, give value to) something that will inevitably fail.  So, I challenge whoever you are to check your motives--because it is a good desire to help the earth and those living in it, so why then do I buy a candy bar simply because I have the means and want it (because I sure don't need it).  That money could go toward helping another.  We have an intrinsic desire to serve ourself, but also the conscience to know that serving others is a good thing.  I would have no reason to believe that unless I had a connection to everyone else, more than a surface level similarity.  I challenge you to consider a singular Creator, giving a greater purpose for good treatment of the earth and others--but that subject, also, is hardly scratching the surface (and not meant for this blog).  But, regardless of all this talk, do not disregard analyzing the "why" behind your consuming and spending.

Earth Week?

As we all know, Earth Day has just been celebrated. It is the best time of year for this holiday to be celebrated because, let's be honest... Spring, especially at Elon University is the best and most beautiful time of the year. The main purpose of Earth Day (which might as well be referred to as Earth Week because there are activities all week) is to increase awareness of the conditions of Earth and to spread awareness on how we impact the Earth in which we live in. If schools all over the nation can spread awareness and participate in events to benefit the environment, then it is clear how easy it is for just one person to do things to help as well. There are many simple things that an individual can do that in the long run, can help the environment in which we live in by multitudes.

1. Pay attention to how much water you use. When you brush your teeth, turn off the faucet while you are doing the actual brushing. Is there any purpose to leave the water running? NO! Limit the length of your shower. Play a game with yourself and see how fast you can get clean. And we all know the saying "if it's yellow let it mellow; if it's brown flush it down"!
2. Walk, run, bike! If we leave our cars at home for 2 days every week, each individual will decrease green house gas emissions by 1,590 pounds every year! You are also at the same time, being healthier and more active.
3. Recycle, Reuse, Recycle. If we recycle then it will cut down the amount of resources that are used to make more products. Using products that are reused results in less waste. When it comes to buying products, choose the one with the least packaging. Using recyclable products for a year would be equivalent to taking 400 cars off of the roads.
4. Compost. If we reduce the amount of waste we produce, then it will decrease the amount of solid waste  we use, then it will take up less space in landfills. It also makes a very good natural fertilizer. Killing 2 birds with 1 stone!

Be the change!

Clothes, Clothes and More Clothes

Clothes are an essential part of life, there is no disputing that fact. However, our society takes it to a new extreme. Fashion magazines are around every corner and shows like Project Runway take up a considerable chunk of TV time. It’s bigger news if a celebrity commits fashion suicide than the political turmoil on the other side of the world. Stores like H&M and Forever 21 make it easy and cheap to buy new clothing on a whim.

It is completely unnecessary to have such a focus on clothing. But what is even more wasteful is the clothing that sits unworn in the back of your closet. There are so many opportunities to put these unwanted or unused clothing to good use.

Quite obviously, you can donate your clothes to organizations such as Goodwill and Salvation Army. These places will sell the clothing at low prices for people who can’t afford to peruse the mall storefronts for a new outfit. If you have a younger sibling or other relative who would wear the clothing, give it to them. It lightens up your closet and allows the garment to fulfill its purpose.

Recently, Elon participated in the Cinderella project. High school girls who couldn’t afford a prom dress were bused to Elon and thanks to donated formal dresses, were able to pick out a dress for free to wear to their prom. This is a fantastic idea, after all how many times are you going to wear your prom dress after the event? Why not donate it to help out someone who can’t afford it?

It will take time to change society from a materialistic one to a minimalistic one. However, there are actions you can take to keep from wasting products such as clothing. Next time you have a chance, take a look in your closet and see just what you need and what you can put to a better use. 

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

 When I try to imagine where all my garbage goes after the trash truck takes it away, I usually picture it sitting in the the dump in large, neat piles. But the truth is, our disposable plastic water bottles, shampoo bottles, and plastic wrappers don't all end up in a land fill. A lot of our waste ends up in the ocean, forming what is known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Doesn't that sound like a great future vacation destination? It is also called the Trash Islands, which can often form the misconception that the waste is compiled in compact clumps that can be easily picked up.

In reality, the waste is floating freely over an area that is said to be twice the size of Texas, although no one has been able to secure an exact size of the Trash Islands due to the fact that they are consistently growing and not all packed together. So how exactly did this horrifying creation come to be? All of the waste that ends up in the ocean either directly or by rivers is carried by currents, and many currents meet in an area of the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii known as the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. A gyre that has  formed a similar creation has also been found in the Atlantic.

Research has shown that 90% of the waste on Trash Island is plastic, and that 80% of the plastic comes from land. And the plastic isn't going anywhere; most of the waste is covered in algae, protecting it so that even the sun can't take a whack at anything slightly compostable.

As a population, we have consumed to the point of no return. Even if a sound way to clean up what we have done to our oceans was possible, what would we do with the waste? Burn it, bury it? Anyway would just hurt the environment as much as letting it float around in the ocean. Even if not one more ounce of waste was created starting this second, we've still damaged the Earth beyond repair. It's not like we can just push our waste off the edge of the Earth and watch it disappear into the galaxy. I don't think anyone has a sound solution to this problem, but if our population continues down this road of endless consumption, we aren't making a solution anymore plausible.

Competition for Conservation

In this post, I am going to discuss a new and exciting way to save energy; something that a lot of people have never even heard about: DOE Solar Decathlon. Teams of college students compete in this program to create solar-powered houses that are both functional and attractive while not spending too much money and being as energy efficient as possible.  The houses that are built are all open to the public on certain days so the creators can show off their work and also so the people can get ideas on ways to make their own homes more energy efficient.  It is so important that houses that are created are open to the public because it shows the people that there are inexpensive ways for them to make the switch more environmentally friendly living spaces.

It is very pivotal in the switch to renewable energy that this is directed to the younger generation because if we do not do anything about the energy problem now, it is going to be a problem that they have to deal with during their generation, while the older generations will not experience the effects.  A big problem we are saying today is that the older generations do not care about the environment or saving energy because they are not going to be around to see the effects of their actions or lack there of.

Now it is up to the younger generations.  It is us and our children who are going to be faced with a big problem if nothing changes.  So now we need to do everything we can in order to get everyone moving towards a more energy conserving planet.  Both the earth and our children and grandchildren will thank us in the future.

The next DOE Solar Decathlon will be held between October 3 and October 13, 2013 in Irvine, California, so if you have any interest in building energy efficient houses, head on over there and get to work!

Recycling Small Big Changes

Recycling is an easy to save a lot of energy use and fuel use.  The discipline to learn to recycle certain containers versus simply throwing them in a trash can does not take much effort thanks to America's organized system of recycling and can severely reduce wastefulness of resources.  This small thing applied to a large group of people becomes a strong force.  Just to cast a glimpse of some of the effects of neglecting recycling and to inspire listeners to take advantage of this opportunity to save resources--and thus stewarding our earth better--here is a video packed with statistics regarding recycling aluminum and plastic (and other such topics).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnjDzEeqI6w

350,000 aluminum cans produced every minute
The amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50,000,000 homes for 20 years
Plastic bags and garbage thrown away into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year
Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it in an incinerator
Every week about 20 species of plants and animals become extinct

Some of these facts simply encourage the idea of not being wasteful more so than actively promoting recycling, but these numbers do make it clear that wastefulness carries negative consequences to other aspects of life and could be put to good use.

I admit that I did not check the numbers of these facts with other websites, and the video does not include any sources for their information.  But if you care enough about this topic, go check--you shouldn't take my word on this anyway.

Is it Trash?

Plastic bottles, soda cans and old newspapers. They are all recyclable and most people have known this throughout the years. However, there are plenty of other household items that are thrown out every day because people don’t realize the unique ways they can be reused.

Take crayons for example. I can pretty much guarantee that every child has a box of crayons filled with stubs and drab colors like brown and grey. As the kids grow up, this box remains and most moms' will toss it after coming across it spring cleaning day. Instead, send them to Crazycrayons! This company melts down these unwanted crayons and turns them into new ones. Instead of sitting in a landfill, this classic coloring utensil will be continuously recycled and reused.

Click here to learn more about Crazycrayons

Another example is CD’s. In today’s society of instant video streaming, CD’s are becoming obsolete. Back Thru the Future Technology Disposal takes these old CD’s and breaks them down. Normally these little disks take decades to decompose in landfills, so instead send them off to be recycled.

Click here for more information on Back Thru the Future

There is a non-profit company in Missouri that will take your old VHS tapes and either resell the salvageable ones or strip down the recyclable plastic on the damaged ones.  Not only is this good for the environment, but you can clear that whole bookshelf of tapes sitting in your basement.

Send your VHS tapes here:

ACT

2200 Burlington Street

Columbia, MO 65202

Next time you go to throw something away, go browse the internet and see the different ways it can be recycled. You would be surprised at the so called “trash” that can actually be reused. 

A New Way to Wash Away Excess Energy

What would it be like if food could wash itself? We would not have to use products in order to make our produce safe to consume. An engineer in the United States has created dissolvable fruit labels that clean food as well. These food labels will appear the same as all food labels on produce, as a sticker that states whom the producer is and the code for the product as well. It is the same shape and size as the non-cleaning original labels.
How does this work? Well, you have asked the right person... The labels dissolve into an organic soap mixture that is used as a cleaning product that helps with the removal of substances, bacteria, and chemicals that are on the fruit and vegetable's surface- for example, like wax and/or pesticides. These Fruitwash Labels are resistant to water, but they dissolve when the label is rubbed. Are there any negative aspects to the labels? No. The Fruitwash labels function the exact same way as the original and traditional label in a since that the labels still hold the same retail information that is necessary for selling and buying purposes. When will the labels appear in our local grocery stores? Good question! The produces of the dissolvable food labels are waiting for an investor to purchase only ten percent of their Fruitwash Label Intellectual Property. The goal for the release is the summer of 2012- so soon!
By produce having dissolvable labels, energy, water, paper towels, and any other product that is used to clean fruits and vegetables would be eliminated. Also, it would create less waste because the label would not be thrown away, it would simply just go away!

Too Much Stuff

So here's the thing, I don't really like to shop. I last around 30 minutes and then I get cranky and who ever I'm with practically has to pick out clothes for me and force me to try them on. I only go clothes shopping a few times a year when I actually need clothes, and my wardrobe is probably far less elaborate than the majority of students at Elon, although compared with the rest of the country and the world I am spoiled beyond measure. So as someone who doesn't shop that often I must not buy into the world of consumerism or have that much stuff, right?

Wrong. I have SO MUCH STUFF. I have an entire closet and dresser at my house overflowing with clothes that I haven't worn in years or have never worn at all. I used to get get boxes of hand-me-downs from cousins every few months that I never wore and they are still sitting in my house. The basement is still filled with toys and gadgets from when my brother and I were younger. My family was never one to skimp on the Christmas gifts. Every year the family room would be filled with the latest and greatest toys that we just HAD to have wrapped in colorful wrapping paper and ribbons that were put right into a garbage bag after being torn from the gifts. Most of those gifts are probably still in our house.

Before beginning this blog, the only guilt I would feel about all this old stuff still in my house would be about how I'm too lazy get rid of it all. Now, I realize that this problem can't be solved by donating it all to the Good Will and feeling good about not clogging a landfill. Because, truth be told, who ever buys it from the Good Will will eventually end up in the same situation and the "stuff" will end up in a landfill sooner or later.

The problem has begun with our lifestyle of consumption. I was never the kid who begged for toys and never seemed to have enough, but I was also never the one to refuse something even if I knew I didn't really need it. I never spoke up and said, "Dad, we don't really need another Rokenbok truck." (Click here if you've never heard of these toys, they are seriously addicting and we had an entire city in our basement.) If there is one thing I have learned since examining the world of consumerism, it is that even though we cannot personally change the lifestyle of every person in this world, we can start with ourselves. So the next time you go shopping or are giving out suggestions for your next birthday present, ask yourself, have I been able to get along so far without this item?, or, one year or even 6 months from now will I even be able to locate this item in my house?

War on Consumerism

Today people just buy so much random stuff.  Some might say we buy things just to buy things.  When we are walking through the store and we see something we want, we convince ourselves that we can use it for such a long time and we need to have it.  Once we actually buy it and have it for a few weeks we realize that a new and better version of the thing that we just bought has come out.  We talk ourselves into being embarrassed that we do not have the best of everything.  This just starts a whole cycle that results in a lot of wasted money and materials.  This cycle is very bad for our wallets and the environment because most people do not dispose of the products correctly. Usually they just sit around our house gathering dust until we final decide to get rid of it.  When we finally throw it away, it sits in a landfill, which is very bad for the environment.

How did we get like this? What causes us to think that we cannot survive if we do not have to latest and greatest of everything?  This distortion in our thinking directly stems from the consumeristic world that we currently live in.  Everywhere we look, we see something that we can buy and we feel obligated to.  All around us there are advertisements for things that we can spend our money on and we feel that in order to keep up with the world we need to buy it.  The companies that are selling the products want us to feel this way because the only thing they are worried about is making a profit.  They do not care about the terrible effect that our consumeristic thoughts that they are fueling have on the environment.

In order to leave this mindset and stop the cycle, we need to not let ourselves be influenced by all of the advertisements that we see around us.  We need to learn to be happy with everything that we have and notice that we are perfectly capable of getting by, thriving even, without having every latest and greatest gadget or the newest clothes.  Making these kind of changes will not only help us save money, but it will also help us save the environment.  If we stop buying so many things, we will then stop throwing so many things away.  If we stop throwing so much away, that means that landfills will get smaller and smaller.

People look at consumerism as helping the economy.  The economy will adapt and find a way to survive if people stop buying products in the amount that they currently are, but the environment cannot keep up with the pace that we are setting.  Stop consumerism, save the environment.

The Turning Point

Growing up, I never had a want for anything. My parents always provided for me and anything I wanted was within my grasp. If I saw a pretty bauble or sugary candy, chances were I could finagle my mother into buying it for me. It was also highly probable that the candy was consumed by the time we left the store and the trinket lost within a couple days. And if I am to be completely honest, that behavior really hasn’t changed throughout the years.

Starting this blog and being challenged to buy fewer things has opened my eyes to what a wasteful society America is. Just the other day I found myself standing in the clothing section in Target putting a bikini in my basket to buy when I realized I already had seven at home. Not only that, but I’m not even going to the beach this summer! All the energy and fuel that went into making that bikini would have wasted away as the bathing suit lay crammed into the back of my dresser.  

The problem is that there are thousands of people out there like me, picking things up on a whim and never using them. I was able to overcome this after being challenged to cut back on my spending. However, not everyone has been offered this test and therefore don’t even realize they are mindlessly wasting their money and the energy put into making the product.

Blogging has changed my views on what I buy, and why I buy it. By spreading the challenge to buy less, I hope others can limit their excessive consumerism also. 

Imagine This...

Imagine this: Work is the last thing on your mind, you feel like just getting away and going somewhere and doing something that will make you "happy" and have a good time. Where should we go? To Target, Harris Teeter, Starbucks, Panera Bread, the Tanger Outlets? Yes, we do not need to imagine anything... This happens to all of us. I will be the first to admit this. People do not just go out and only buy the necessities anymore, it is more about what we want and desire.

Second scenerio. Imagine this: Your teacher has given you an assignment to decrease the amount of things you buy and use as a way to decrease excess energy and money spent that ultimately directly affects the environment and the world we live in. The only day in which you are capable of buying products and goods is Sunday. This is the assignment that I have been given.

By doing this, you eliminate many harmful activities and add activities that are beneficial to ourselves and the environment as well. I have realized that many of the things that I would just go out and randomly buy are not necessities in any way to say the least. By only being able to buy products on Sundays, it makes me more aware of what I need for the upcoming week and that many of the things that I would buy previously I really do not need and I can live without. I no longer just do things to do it and spend money just to spend it. I have realized what I need and do not need. This has helped me save money, energy, and time. Even though I have only done this assignment for a couple of weeks, it has already had an effect on my lifestyle. If everyone got on board with this assignment and did it, it would benefit all of the participants lives and lifestyles. 

Spending Connected with Values

One fantastic benefit that tagged along the backside of technology is the ability to gather information with great ease, process all the responses and facts, and communicate the findings to people on a large scale.  People can now take universal statistics regarding spending and resources and other such things.  Those people can crunch numbers and put their results on the internet for anyone with a laptop to be able to stumble across.  Today, I want to share some shocking spending statistics upon which I stumbled this past year.  The numbers compare annual universal spending with the spending of certain developed countries.

Annual Expenditure in billions (U.S. currency)

Education worldwide- $6	Cosmetics in US- $8
Water and sanitation worldwide- $9	Ice Cream in Europe- $11
Reproductive health worldwide- $12	Perfumes in Eur. and US.- $12
Basic health and nutrition worldwide- $13	Pet Food in Eur. and US.- $17
	Alcoholic drinks in Europe- $105
	Narcotic drugs worldwide- $400

(“State of Human Development” 37)

Every difference of one in these numbers is a whole billion dollars.

Looking at these numbers at first simply makes me sad.  Then, lots of different questions run through my mind to wonder how these sorts of numbers came to be true.  I am a person who likes to ask the "why" question-I believe most times it gets to the heart of the issue.  This statistic is made from the spending of people-just like myself in their own circumstances.  So, clearly, people in general in developed countries value alcohol significantly more than education or health (if we based people's value on how much money they put into something, which definitely is a significant and moderately accurate tester).  

As a person, I analyze myself in light of these statistics why I might have spent more money on pet food than the sanitation of water around the world?  Maybe these statistics do not directly apply to you, but they should still make you pause and think what sorts of things you do spend your money on.  What categories of stuff does your spending add to?  Is that the best use it could be put to?  What do you really need?  I cannot ask that question without giving my own thought to the answer-everything in the table above (even health) will fade away eventually, so looking at life in the long run I believe a person's greatest need is spiritual and in relation to eternity (the LONG run).  Perhaps that is a matter for another blog.

The Power Behind the Brand

A company's ultimate goal is to make their product a household name, to make their brand logo recognizable all over the world. When populations begin using brand names as verbs (ie. Let me Xerox that. Go Google it. Will you Windex the windows?) that company has most likely met their goal. When the general population has replaced a the name of a simple action with a brand, that brand suddenly becomes extremely powerful.

                                                This video illustrates the power of a brand

Of course there are also other brands that are not used as verbs, but whose logos are recognized all over the world (ie. Coca Cola, Toyota, Honda). We live in a world that is powered by brand names and a population that generally turns their noses up at generic brands. I did a project in AP psychology last year determining if people are more likely to buy brand name grocery products than generic and whether there is actually a difference in the product received in both options. My group bought a box of brand name Nilla Wafers and a box of generic grocery store brand Nilla Wafers. The generic brand cookies were cheaper than the brand name, but they tasted exactly the same according to our blind taste test. We then completed a taste test in which the boxes were displayed next to each cookie, and the general consensus was that the brand name cookies tasted better than the generic, illustrating the power held in a brand name.

One thing you may have noticed at the grocery store is that the generic products are often packaged in less decorative and sturdy material. This makes the product less appealing but cheaper to manufacture because less material is used, meaning less waste in our landfills (!!). Take home message part one: Generic brands don't bite!!

Many of these big name brands continue to use large amounts of material in manufacturing their products in order to keep up appearances, but some have become influential in creating competition among more environmentally friendly products. Bottled water companies, for example, now use their plastic reduction as a marketing ploy because more and more people have started using reusable bottles. In 1999, Honda released the first hybrid car in the United States, which has influenced competition between Honda, Toyota, and Ford especially to create the most popular hybrid car as oil supplies are depleted and gas prices rise. To view the history of the hybrid car click here.

The efforts made by these big name companies have contributed to the global awareness in our world about the endangered state of our Earth. This is a start, but the ultimate goal is for this power to trickle down to smaller organizations, the generic Nilla Wafers of the world. Take home message part two: If you have power, use it!! If you don't, knock down the doors of those who do until your voice is heard!!

Rare Recyclables

When people think of recycling, they usually think of normal materials such as cardboard, glass and plastics.  In actually, there are so many other things that can be recycled that people do not normally think of.  Here are a few usual things that can and should be recycled:

Printer Cartridges: Although these cannot be thrown directly into the recycling, they can be taken to any office store and there will be a place to put used printer cartridges to be recycling.

Shoes: If you have shoes that are in good condition that either do not fit you or you just do not wear anymore, do not throw them away! Shoes that are in good condition can be donated and if they are in poor conditions, they can be broken down and the separate materials can be used for different things or recycled.

Eyeglasses: Eyeglasses can be easily recycled by taking them to some eye care providers and dropping them into one of the boxes.  After the glasses are dropped in the box, they will given to less fortunate people who cannot afford their own glasses.

Cell Phones:  When your cell phone breaks or you get a new one, don't leave it sitting around collecting dust! That old cell phone could help the earth!  Most cell phone providers will take back cell phones and recycle the battery.  If it is still able to be used, most churches or other charity organizations will take them and give them to those who are less fortunate.

Holiday Lights: For Christmas lights that are broken, do not just throw them away! Most of the materials that they are made of can be recycled and there are usually drop off boxes found in various different places after the holiday season is over.

                                 

All of these different things and so many more are all recyclable in one way or another! So next time you are throwing something out and are heading for the trash can, think twice!! More often than not, either part of the object or the whole object can be recycled! Little things like that are not very hard to do but do a big part for the environment!

The Cost of Coffee

After working in Starbucks for half a year, I have the process of making lattes down to a science. Steam the milk, queue up the espresso shots, pour into the cup, place the lid on and give it to the customer. A typical eight hour workday will have gone by and I’ll have made roughly 200 lattes. Now here’s the kicker; it takes 53 gallons of water to make a single latte, which is about the equivalent of water you use for a ten minute shower. It plays out like an elementary math problem; if one latte takes 53 gallons of water to make, how much does 200? The answer is 10,600 gallons.

How much water is in your latte?

Now for those of you not familiar with the typical Starbucks drinks, there are plenty of other choices such as cappuccinos, frappuccinos, teas and an abundance of flavored coffees. Most of these drinks have even more ingredients to them than a simple latte, increasing the amount of water used to make them.  The 10,600 gallons of water has just exponentially increased. If you factor in the thousands of Starbucks nationwide, each day produces an incredibly high amount of water, water that we never realized we are using.

There are better ways for your coffee consumption needs. For example, buying a travelers mug for your coffee allows you to use the same cup every day. This cuts back on the amount of water that would be wasted to make a paper cup and at Starbucks, you even get a discount for bringing in your own mug. You save money and help conserve water by doing this.

Next time you grab a cup of coffee, just think about how much water went into making that drink, and what you could do to leave a smaller water footprint on the world. 

An Environmental Easter

Easter: n. The holiday that commences the spring season. Lent is over so let the feasting begin! Bright colored clothing are being brought out from the attic, flowers are blossoming, rain and thunderstorms become more frequent, and pollen is well, anywhere and everywhere. Yes, Easter marks the beginning to the change of weather and the nearing end of a school year. Because of the beautiful weather, much of Easter is celebrated outside with Easter egg hunts, picnics, croquet, and the list goes on and on. It is safe to say that Easter is primarily celebrated in the outdoors. This meaning, that what we do to our environment can directly lead to affecting the beauty of our Easter holiday. There are many ways to celebrate the holiday and be environmentally friendly at the same time.

Here are some tips:

1. Forget about plastic Easter baskets, those contribute straight to landfill. Try a straw basket or a paper one instead. Remember: reusing materials is a simple way to help our environment. 

2.Cheap, plastic grass for the basket filling? Heck no, there are not only cheaper ways, but more environmentally good ways as well. Try cutting up magazine or newspaper pages! 

3.Create homemade dyes. Use fruits and vegetables combined with vegetable oil to create the dyes. Dyes that are bought in the store and are processed cause harm to the environment. 

4.Buy candy that is locally made and sold! It benefits the local economy and agriculture.

Below is the ideal environmental friendly Easter basket: It is made from straw materials and the basket is then filled with cut up paper.    

How many iPhone Generations do We Need?

The funnier thing about this title is that a "generation" translates to approximately a year, not like generations we think of in families.  Anyone with eyes (and even those without) can see that technology develops like nobody's business in America, and that's on what American business depend--technology.  Like most things in life, this increase in productivity and convenience comes with a cost, and it is known as "e-waste."  That describes disposed electrical or electronic devices--computers, mobile phones, entertainment devices (Xboxes, PS2's, Gameboy's, etc.), televisions, and even refrigerators.

Why is this a cost?  E-waste contains harmful substances, even poisons.  If you would like an extensive description of what the harmful substances are, where they can be found and what effects they can have, go ahead and click this link: What harmful substances?

How much waste does the United States and/or world generate?
Between 1997 and 2007 the US generated more than 500 million obsolete computers (BAN and SVTC).
In 2007 alone the US discarded 41.1 million computers, equivalent to 112,000 computers per day (US EPA).
In 2007 the US disposed of 26.9 million televisions, which is 910,600 tons of waste.
In 2009 worldwide 1.21 billion cell phones and 305 million computers were sold (Gartner, Inc.).
The earth generates around 50 million tons of e-waste per year (UN Environment Program).

So where does all this waste go?
Here's the major issue with this topic--while America uses much of the world's electronic products and thus generates the most e-waste, Envirosense says we (as a country) export 80% of our e-waste to other countries, and BAN and SVTC says we export 50-80% of our e-waste collected for recycling to other countries.  Specifically, The US ships off the waste to China, Thailand, India, and Pakistan (for some examples).  So, we ship off the harmful substances and chemicals to more developing nations.
Of the waste the US does not export, much of it remains in storage because we do not know how to deal with it.
If it's not in storage and not exported, the best bet is that e-waste will fill landfills or incinerators.
About 3% is re-used and 11% is recycled.

What can we do?
Buy only what you need.  Be patient with new technology--you do not need to jump on each new phone or computer or game system to hit the market.
Increase awareness and let people know.  This affects them as well.  Every once in a while, there's a break in normal conversations concerning facebook and celebrities where you can insert a PSA about e-waste.
Recycle e-waste with reliable companies you've researched.

Can you build a house?

I am not talking about a tipi made of three sticks propped together and covered by a bed sheet. I am talking about an energy-efficient house with living quarters, appliances, and hot water. Did you answer no, you don't think you can build a house like that? Actually, you can. University students  across the world are participating in the Solar Decathlon, a competition hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy challenging students to build their own energy-efficient houses.

The exterior of Middlebury College's 2011 entry

Teams of students from Universities take as long as two years to plan and design their houses before construction. The houses must be solar-powered and are judged on categories such as architectural design, engineering, affordability, energy production, comfort, and utilities. The winning house is the one that scores the highest combination of points in ten different categories.

The interior of the University of Calgary's 2011 entry

So, what happens to the houses after the competition? The houses are not typically inhabited after they have endured the competition, although if you have the cash you could certainly scoop one up for your living pleasures, as some of the houses are sold in order to raise money for future competitions, which are dependent on sponsorships. Most of the houses sold, though, are bought by companies whose products are used in the houses in order to be put on display. Some of the houses are dissembled so their material can be reused, and the majority of the houses are used for research and to educate the public on how they can make their own home more energy efficient.

                          Take a tour of Team Germany's winning entry in the 2009 Solar Decathlon!

The design and construction of these houses require knowledge from many different fields of learning. Even if you aren't handy with a hammer and nail, you can still contribute to the construction of theses houses that have to ability to influence a more environmentally friendly planet to inhabit. If you want to learn more about this project or how to enter your own University, you can visit http://www.solardecathlon.gov/.

A Recycled New Start

It's that time of year again. The weather's getting warmer, the days are getting longer and all of the college campuses are teeming with perspective students taking tours, trying to figure out where to spend the next 4 years of their life.  Before we know it, the school year will be over and everyone will be making plans for their living arrangements for the next year.  When decorating your dorm room, why not use something old to enhance your new living space?

Now when I say old, I do not mean anything dirty or grimy which is probably the image that came into your head.  There are tons of places where you can find recycled products that are functional and would also look great in your room! Here are some of the things that I have found:

Bed Sheets:

Here are some sheets that are 100% microfiber which makes them really soft and they also come in a variety of different colors so you can definitely find one you like.  They are also extra long so you don't have to worry about them not fitting your dorm bed!

$18.98 from http://www.dormdelicious.com/store/ 

All of the products that are shown on this website are good for the environment so this would be a good place to go when looking for dorm room supplies! They also have a bunch of other tips for living in a dormitory!

Side Tables:

Forget those plastic side tables that are not only bad for the environment but are also quite frankly a little boring. Try instead one of these Origami Side Tables from Mio which are not only fun to look at but also very eco-friendly!

$185 from http://mioculture.com/furniture/origami-side-table.html 

Lamps:

For all of that late night studying you are going to be doing, your are going to need a lamp that will help  keep you focused on your work.  If you get one of these lamps from greenhome, you can get your work done and help save the environment all at the same time! Not only does it do all that, but it also looks really cool at the same time!

$165 from http://www.greenhome.com/products/home_furnishing/lamps/119678

Shower Caddy:

One on the things that students always enjoy most about living in a dorm is getting to lug all of the toiletries down the hall just to go to the bathroom and shower.  Well now as you make the long trek just to get ready for bed, you can look good while doing it!  Not only does this shower caddy help you get all of your things to and from the bathroom but it is also made 100% of recycled materials so it helps the planet as well as you!

$7.99 from http://www.greatusefulstuff.com/IM-Text-Shower-Tote-p/WSC01079TXKRSD.htm 

I know some of these products might seem a little expensive, but it really is a small price to pay for what you are actually doing to help the earth in the long run! If you buy these products now, your grandchildren will thank you in the future.

The Tale of the Lorax

The story of the Lorax is a sad one. A beautiful forest teeming with life and rich of resources is mercilessly torn down by the greedy Once-ler. The Lorax, the guardian of the forest, warns him that if he continues, everything will be destroyed. The Once-ler ignores the Lorax’s plea and builds a massive company that depends on the Truffula trees of the forest. One by one the trees are cut down until there are no more and the once bountiful land is decimated. Time skips forward to reveal a polluted, grimy town where a young boy visits the Once-ler to ask why the world is so dirty. After telling his woeful story to the boy, the Once-ler gives him the last Truffula tree seed. He hopes that if the forest is restored, all the animals of the forest would return, including the Lorax.

In today’s world of consumerism and consumption, this story speaks volumes. Day by day we continuously waste Earth’s resources with no plans for the future. Our planet is not regenerating, eventually all the fossil fuels we are so dependent on will cease and our way of life will change drastically.

There is hope, however. Just as the Lorax who spoke for the trees, there are people and organizations throughout the world trying to change the wasteful habits that make up modern industry. It will take time and effort, but persistence in this endeavor will save the planet. This is why it is important to contribute to efforts such as going green and recycling. After all, in the words of the Lorax, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”